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The Union's Plan for isolating the Confederacy and dividing it, included gaining control of the Mississippi River. The key to the river was New Orleans, the South's largest port and greatest industrial center. When the Union armies advanced through Tennessee the Confederates sent defenders from New Orleans, as they expected the main threat to the city to come by land, not the sea. The Union, however, mounted an amphibious force and entered the Mississippi River in March, 1862, from the Gulf of Mexico under Naval Officer David Farragut. He had 17 steam-powered warships, 21 mortar schooners and 6 gunboats. The Union also concentrated 15,000 men on Ship Island, preparing to occupy the city. The Confederates had obstructed the river about 70 miles below New Orleans with sunken hulks and a chain across the river. Fort Jackson on the west bank protected the area with Fort St. Philip on the east bank. Together these two forts had over 100 heavy guns. On April 18 mortar schooners began shelling Fort Jackson, the closer and more powerful of the two forts. The Confederates sank one of the schooners, but the mortar boats continued to pulverize the fort. Two of Farragut's gunboats forced a break in the obstructions on the night of April 20. The bombardment continued for six days unable to silence Fort Jackson's guns. On April 24 at 3:30 AM Farragut's warships began to steam through the breach. Under heavy fire 14 warships steamed past the masonry forts and engaged the South's flotilla, capturing 13 enemy vessels. On April 25, 1862, Farragut steamed into New Orleans, placing the Confederacy's greatest port and largest city in Union hands, and providing a southern base for the Union's control of the River. Fort Jackson is about 70 miles south of New Orleans on the west bank of the Mississippi River.
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